Arts Council and Create - Graduate Research and Development Award
NCAD graduate Sanaa El Habbash receives Artist in the Community Scheme award to continue research on Palestinian culture.
PRESS RELEASE
Thursday, 19th November 2020
NCAD graduate receives Artist in the Community Scheme award to continue research on Palestinian culture.
The National College of Art and Design (NCAD) has welcomed the announcement that its design graduate, Sanaa El Habbash, has been awarded the Graduate Research and Development Award (with Mentoring) by the Arts Council and Create’s Artist in the Community Scheme. The award – which was announced today (19.11.20) - will allow El Habbash to continue her research on Palestinian culture.
El Habbash graduated from the NCAD’s BA in graphic design in 2020. As a member of the Palestinian diaspora, El Habbash’s goal as a communication designer is to share stories of strength that come from hardship. In her final year at NCAD’s Department of Communication Design, her practice became increasingly focused on the overshadowed beauty of Palestine.
The award and subsequent funding will allow El Habbash to realise a research project she worked on while completing her BA at NCAD. The aim of her research is to transform stories of personal journeys and the close connection to food into tactile objects, showcasing women’s stories of life back home and what brought them to their new surroundings. Food is often the closest thing these women have to home, conjuring memories of happier times. From speaking with displaced Palestinian women, she found the importance of food evident.
Commenting on her award El Habbash said: “With the ongoing war, it’s easy to forget about the amazing people, stories, and traditions at the heart of the Palestinian community. During my undergraduate studies, I produced community centred projects, and with the support of this award, I will be able to generate enough research to see through to completion a unique and meaningful project that will allow me to make a positive contribution within the community.
“Through my research so far, I have had the privilege of speaking with Palestinian women and hearing about their personal journeys. The strength and resilience of Palestinian women is often ignored. My work aims to celebrate these women by sharing their personal stories through the lens of another important part of Palestinian culture—food and commensality.”
ENDS
